Song of Solomon 3:4

Now, if you would, turn with me to the Song of Solomon as we are going to observe the Lord’s Supper today. Song of Solomon, Chapter 3. Let me read the first four verses, but our focus is on verse 4. By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul love it. I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets, and in the Broadway, I will seek him whom my soul loveth. I sought him, but I found him not. The watchman that go about the city found me, to whom I said, show ye him whom my soul, saw ye him whom I soul loved it. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth. I held him and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house into the chamber of her that conceit. God blessed to us, his word here. Now, in this passage of scripture, the bride here is troubled by the loss of intimate fellowship with Jesus. Christ is a highly symbolic book. And so she stirs herself to diligently seek him. In verse 2, I will rise now. She was on her bed at first, at ease. Now she arises. But her search so far has been unsuccessful. She is not discouraged, but she keeps on searching. She has used the searcher. spiritual means provided to draw closer to the Savior. Talking with the watchman here or the elders of the city of God, verse 3, attending the preaching of the word of God in the streets and broad ways of the city where people gather and meet to hear teaching. And we see this means. was used, but at first she did not find her savior. The bride here does find her savior here in verse 4. Your perseverance and the use of means will be rewarded. The bride here continues but a little further, and she meets with success, where she finds the one her soul loveth. Soon after talking with the watchman. Now, this going a little further suggests your perseverance, your persistence in the using of the means of grace. So you must not lose heart. You must not give up your search. When you don’t have the immediate success that you wish to have, the Lord. test your resolve and how motivated you are to seek him. And then Christ appears to you as unexpectedly as he appeared to the disciples on the road to him. All of a sudden, as we’ve seen in this book, he comes, goes over the mountains of Bethel, the mountains of division and he works in our lives once again that draws close to himself. And so we see here the passage drawing us closer. The bride clings to her beloved in the second part of verse four. There is an inexpressible satisfaction when you find Christ with eagerness in your soul and you lay hold of the Savior. Like the women at the tomb, seeing the resurrected Christ, you hold him by the feet, so to speak, and you worship him. You don’t want him to go away. The idea here is you desire that intimate fellowship with Christ that waxes and wanes at times in our lives. Like Jacob of all, there is a holy wrestling with Christ. A determination not to let him go until you get his blessing. So you hang on to Christ. Fearful that he might depart is the expression of your love and care. Christ condescends, in effect, encouraging you to cling to him. I will not go if thou will hold me and have me sick, is the idea here. now the clinging to Jesus Christ is not physical of course, but it’s spiritual. Like Jacob, it involves weeping. It involves supplications. So forth. Thirdly, the bride desires to share her discovery of her beloved the last part of verse four. Now, by mother here in this passage of scripture, we understand the visible church. But Jerusalem, which is above, is free, and is the mother of us all. Galasians 426. The elder under the elect lady and her children. The elect lady is a church. The children are the members of the church. I rejoice greatly that I found of thy children walking in the truth. 2. John 1. and four. So the church is called mother because she gives birth to spiritual children through the preaching of the gospel. And thus, we read in Psalm 87, verses 5 and 6. And of Zion, it shall be said, this and that man was born in her. The Lord shall count when he writeeth up the people that this man was born there. Christ is said to be brought here into the church, the visible church, by the one who has intimate fellowship restored. Now, isn’t this interesting? When you are drawn near to Christ, it has a positive effect on the other believers in the church. So that the whole assembly of God’s people can be benefited. Upon the whole assembly here. In effect, you are saying with Moses, I pray thee, O Lord, go amongst us. And so we have this idea of when we as the people of God find this intimate fellowship with Christ restored, we bring that with us when we come to the church. it affects more than just you and I. And I think that’s important. Well, let me close here. Always remember your spiritual vitality has a direct effect upon fellow church members. And when your soul is revitalized, it rubs off on others. So your spiritual walk has a direct and positive effect on your fellow believers. So never forget you are part of a spiritual community and the well-being in your soul affects them. And so we encourage everyone to draw close to Christ and it will benefit everybody in the assembly if that is the case. Well, as we come to the Lord’s supper this morning. Let me say this. We always ask that you talked with the elders before partaking of the supper. We may have your understanding and your of salvation and of the supper itself. And we pray that you have confessed any known sin, that you may come to the table without any has any, has this morning because we can’t eat and drink to our own condemnation if we don’t do that. I’d like to ask Mark to come forward at this time and we will pass out the communion in just a second here. Heavenly Father, bless the elements to us this morning. Strengthen us in the faith and draw us closer to our Savior, Jesus. Christ. Whose name we pray with Thanksgiving. Amen. Jesus said this broken bread represents his body that’s broken for us. Let’s partake it. The cop represents the new covenant in Christ’s blood. Let us all drink it. Let us pray. Father, renew us spiritually this morning. I pray, Father, that we would walk worthy of the calling you’ve given us. that you would bless us and encourage us in our Christian walk of life. May we be thankful for your willingness to fellowship with us and to draw close to us. For it’s in Jesus name we pray with Thanksgiving. Amen.